Watch Alejandro González Iñárritu Win Best Director for Birdman at the Oscars

Alejandro González Iñárritu won the Best Director trophy at the Oscars for Birdman, a recognition of the astounding technical feat of making nearly the entire film appear to take place in a single shot, as well as a nod to his long career. González Iñárritu had previously been nominated in this category for his 2006 film Babel; this is his first Oscar.

Notably, González Iñárritu is the second Latino director to win this prize. The first? Gravity‘s Alfonso Cuarón, a longtime friend and collaborator of González Iñárritu’s.

“For someone to win, someone has to lose. But the paradox is that true art, true individual expression […] can’t be compared,” González Iñárritu said in his speech.